Patience vs Solitaire: A Complete Guide to Both Terms

Last updated: May 13, 2026

Illustration comparing Patience and Solitaire card games with classic Patience layout on one side and modern Solitaire layout on the other, showing both terms refer to the same single-player card game.

If you want to play online solitaire, you have probably seen the word "Patience" used in place of "Solitaire" in some places. There is no gameplay difference but what is “Patience”. These are two names for the exact same type of single-player card game “ Solitaire”. The only difference is regional. People in North America say Solitaire. People in Britain and Europe say Patience.

When you look into patience vs solitaire, you are really looking at a language difference, not a rule difference. Let’s read about it.

FAQs

Yes. Both terms describe identical single-player card games.
Victorian England adopted the name Patience because the game required that quality from players.
Solitaire is substantially more common, primarily due to Microsoft Windows and mobile app stores.
Card game variants generally are. Peg Solitaire, a board game, is not. For standard card games, the terms are interchangeable.

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